Thousands Of Pets Were Abandoned in Puerto Rico-- Here Is How You Can Help

A man embraces his dog after the passing of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico.Credit: Sylvie Bedrosian

The citizens of Puerto Rico have recently been faced with a myriad of trials following the passing of Hurricane María. One of the greatest, most unspoken challenges is the fact that thousands of animals have been left abandoned across the island. Many people were forced to flee after the storm, and as a result, left their pets behind. Local organizations have been working to tackle this issue and have been fighting to provide shelters the resources they need to house these pets.

PetFriendly is one of these organizations. It is the only organization in Puerto Rico dedicated to promoting a pet-friendly culture among businesses, commercial spaces, and residential spaces. Their website maps out every pet-friendly place in a particular area, and businesses that take on the “pet-friendly” status receive a sticker to place on the front window of their establishment. Since the passing of Hurricane María, they have been tirelessly working to support animal shelters.

Sylvie Bedrosian first started this organization as a response to her own love for animals, and the love she saw many people have for their pets. In particular, she found that there was a vast need in knowing what places accept pets in Puerto Rico since there is no law that gives businesses guidelines as to how to certify their establishment as pet-friendly.

“People really responded to this idea because they were tired of getting kicked out of places or leaving their pets outside. Many people consider their pets family, either because they don’t have children or they do and want a big happyfamily– which can include their pet. Tourists also want to travel with their pets. So through this business, we’ve reached a verbal agreement with the government to create guidelines for businesses and certify them.”

Sylvie Bedrosian and César Millán during one of the Dame Una Patita brigades.Credit: Sylvie Bedrosian

Bedrosian’s journey to starting this organization was certainly unconventional. A few years ago, she found herself having to move back to Puerto Rico to take care of her sick grandparents. She had spent the last nine years in New York but had no ties there. Once she got to the island, she decided to get her first dog to have something warm and happy to come home to.

“I needed to have a reason to go home. It was such a sad environment, so having my dog really helped. But still, I felt like I needed to be distracted and get involved with different groups. I decided at that time to get involved with the organization Save A Sato, which is a no-kill shelter in Puerto Rico. Volunteering there changed my life. Stepping into that shelter– there is no way it doesn’t move you. It opened my eyes to a different world, and it gave me purpose.”

At that time, she also started noticing that she could not visit many places with her dog. “My dog was always with me, and I just didn’t understand why I couldn’t go to a pharmacy with him. In New York, I could go with him anywhere. So this idea just started brewing, and right when this was happening, I lost my job in the city. I knew it was what I needed to push me to start something.”

Sylvie Bedrosian with one of her pets in Puerto Rico.Credit: Sylvie Bedrosian

As a pioneer in this space, Bedrosian has faced multiple issues in the process. For one, she once had a large pet brand try to steal her concept. About five or six months into launching her platform, a well-known pet supplies company reached out to discuss the possibility of collaborating. In fact, they were hoping to put their brand on their PetFriendly stickers– an idea that Bedrosian objected to.

“I believed the stickers should be as is. What happens if that particular company has a food recall in a year– would we have to distribute new stickers without their branding? I didn’t think it was the right way to collaborate. Soon after our meeting, I found out they released a product almost identical to mine. I had put so many long hours into this; it felt as if someone had taken my child. In the end, people in Puerto Rico know my work and were taken aback by that move. It really was just fuel for me to continue working harder.”

They’ve also received pushback from the Puerto Rican government– in fact, this past July she received a call saying that her agreement with the PR government would no longer be upheld. “Out of the blue, I received a call from the president of ASORE (Association of Restaurants) saying he had just had a meeting with the Health Department, and that a new secretary had been appointed. She said she would not approve of having pets in any restaurant, even if they had a terrace.”

The situation prompted Bedrosian to show up to the government offices to fight for her company, a day before she was scheduled to return to New York. She knew she would have to fight and do everything in her power to have her voice heard. She spent the entire day waiting to speak with government officials. Although she had support from the veterinarian on site, and although the office had the option to uphold federal codes, her request was declined. She knew the movement would fall apart.

“I called absolutely everyone I knew. Everyone was going away because it was a long weekend in July, so they were at their beach homes. Each person I called would say ‘we’ll talk about it on Monday or Tuesday’. But still, I continue fighting. A day later I received a call from one of the individuals I had reached out to tell me to take a look at the newspaper: the governor was not going to allow any rules against pet-friendly places. It was a miracle; somehow my message had gone through– that’s where passion comes in.”

Members of the Dame Una Patita team delivering food and water to shelters in Puerto Rico.Credit: Sylvie Bedrosian

Since Hurricane María, Bedrosian has refocused her attention on supporting organizations that provide aid to displaced pets. Together with the pet company Pedigree, they started the campaign Dame Una Patita aimed at collecting funds towards supporting shelters in Puerto Rico. Many were destroyed during the storm and as a result, hundreds of pets were left without a home. With this movement, they are hoping to support those that have worked towards making sure all pets have a safe place to come home to.

In addition, Bedrosian has continued working to build out the PetFriendly network and is hoping to expand to other cities in the coming years including New York, Miami, Houston, and LA. She wants to create a platform where every single business can go in and register and received their PetFriendly sticker. She’s also started working more closely on the issue of residential buildings– many don’t have pet-friendly policies, which can often be profitable. In fact, Bedrosian believes being pet-friendly is great business for any establishment.

“When you make a place pet-friendly, then you’re building community. It’s simply a great model for restaurants, residential buildings, and beyond. People love to go out with their pets and love to live in places that accept pets. I have so many plans for the future, too. I want to work with other technology platforms such as Waze– you could open the app and see everything around you that accepts pets. In the end, this is my passion– I believe in this so much and want to work every day to make this a reality.”

I’m a startup founder, front-end developer and designer with an expertise in user experience design and branding. After finishing my master’s at Harvard University, I founded Caila, a platform that provides adaptive learning pathways for employees to advance their careers us...